Welcome to the XNUMXth century! At the Château de Foix, we live history for real!
During your visit, discover a fun and interactive departmental museum allowing you to be the witnesses of the life of the counts of Foix and their wives, relive their conquests, their defeats, their passions... their daily lives! And as a bonus, if you are players and you like to investigate, book your Escape game and go in search of the Cathar Treasure ! Then, climb up to the castle for a change of atmosphere… room for immersion ! Enter the castle where each room awaits you with reconstituted period furniture: guard room, banquet room, count's bedroom... Find out what the castle of Foix looked like! The exteriors are not left out, stroll through the workshops where the mediators are waiting for you to make you discover medieval weapons, stone cutting, forging or even war and construction machines !
NEW EXHIBITION: Heroes & Heroines, from Antiquity to the present day!
At the heart of this unique exhibition, you have the power to unlock the secret of heroes and heroines! The notion of heroism runs through the oral and written history of the West well before Antiquity and up to the present day. But how is a hero or heroine made? By what processes do ancient or modern societies identify their heroes? Exploits, moral rigor, aesthetics, sacrifices... We invite you to explore the different facets of heroism through three eras: Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and contemporary times.
From Hercules to comic book heroes via Fébus the Lion of the Pyrenees, knights and goddesses with a thousand powers, dive into the heart of the heroic myth through time.
Combining heritage collections with works of our time, the exhibition will satisfy Pop-Culture fans as well as history buffs!
> The exhibition is included in your entrance ticket to the Foix museum & castle.
> Our animal friends are not allowed, part of the visit being indoors (museum and inside the castle). > The castle is not passable in pushchairs, prefer baby carriers. > The museum is fully wheelchair accessible, the castle is not.
The visit
A fun and immersive castle
From July 2024, to complete this medieval immersion at the foot of the three towers of the castle, workshops are offered every day. Led by characters straight from the Middle Ages, such as La Chignole, Cordilh, Brunissende..., they will help you project yourself back to the time of the Counts of Foix.
In the form of a workshop held by our medieval characters, you will familiarize yourself with the weapons of war from the time of Fébus: the bow and the crossbow. It is matter of prestige, speed shooting, materials, anecdotes battlefield ... and many other things!
The size of the stone
Located at the foot of the famous round tower which is the pride of the counts and of the Château, you will discover the secrets of medieval builders: knotted rope, mallet and chisel, jobber's marks and so many other things! The walls have not finished speaking to you.
The medieval forge
During this workshop, it will be about iron, fire and hammer… all with noise and smell! In this veritable medieval forge, the bellows are activated, the iron is heated and the instruments are shaped which will then be used by the stonemason or the crossbowman.
Immersive sets
Visit the interiors of this castle and evolve in the heart of the Middle Ages... and it's not just an empty promise!
While strolling in the castle, one can believe that the famous Gaston Fébus and his court still occupy the places! In each room, furniture, seats, tables, beds and weapons are installed to give it all its splendor of yesteryear. Each more realistic than the next, they are made to measure, after a long work of archival research and inventory of the various known medieval collections.
Among the rooms that you will be able to discover are the large ceremonial room, the count's bedroom, the weapons room, the scriptorium, the dungeon ...
An olfactory atmosphere unfolds in each room, for example, allowing you to recognize the odors of grain, candles or that of the grease of weapons.
To accentuate this immersion, you can even sit on the cathedral (the throne) of the count, the time of a totally anachronistic selfie!
War and Construction Machines, Scale 1
If the immersion is complete inside the walls of the medieval fortress, the terraces are not left out!
Come and discover exceptional war machines, such as the trebuchet or the stony ground and an impressive drum winch, very useful for the works of the counts.
These machines, scale 1, were built during the summer of 2018, under the eyes of visitors, with the techniques and tools of the time.
The immense trebuchet, with its 16 meters high, is a siege machine that allowed to send balls of 100 kg to more than 200 meters. At his side, the stone seems more frail but remains terribly effective allowing a rapid defense, at the rate of one shot per minute. The drum winch, also called a “squirrel cage”, is installed between two towers of the castle. Lifting device, its principle is simple: one takes place inside and while walking, the multiplication of the forces makes it possible to hoist stone blocks weighing up to one ton.
These machines, visible every day, are brought to life during workshops that explain their history and their usefulness… it even seems that you can be used as labor!
At the foot of the castle, the departmental museum of 2 m² gives you an appointment with modernity, fun and interactive.
Discover the exceptional destiny of the Counts of Foix!
The story begins at the very beginning of the Middle Ages, around the year 1589, with Bernard, founder of the dynasty, and will end in XNUMX, when Henri de Navarre became King of France under the name of Henri IV ...
Through the different rooms of the museum, you will discover this great Pyrenean lineage and will witness the life of the Counts of Foix and their wives, their conquests, their defeats, their alliances, their unions, their passions, their beliefs and their daily life of hunts, wars, politics or parties.
These beautiful stories will, depending on the visit, be punctuated by games, videos or interactive content.
The museum tour will also allow you to discover the history of the county of Foix, the city and the Castle, of Catharism but also to better understand daily life, the legends that we told each other or the splendor of the court of counts in the Middle Ages.
Symbol of the fame of Gaston Fébus, the Book of the Hunt is devoted to the passion of his life and remains forever attached to the memory of this great prince. Enter the dark room, a large illuminated book awaits you. Touch the pages and find yourself immersed in the center of immersive scenes straight from the illustrations in the book.
The Book of the Hunt comes to life. The animals move through the foliage that grows visibly, the birds sing and flutter between the branches. Everywhere the beauty of medieval illustrations is amplified by movement, sound, depth and play of light.
Visit with your smartphone
You can, throughout the museographic part, enhance your visit with audio commentaries, all for free with your admission ticket. This tour companion is available in several languages (French, English, Spanish, Catalan, Dutch or even German).
To benefit from it, the procedure is simple: using your smartphone, simply connect to the museum's private network and, in each room, tag the “find out more” signs.
By car : from Toulouse take the A61 motorway towards Montpellier. Then take the direction of Foix by the A66 motorway. Allow barely 1 hour's journey from Toulouse.
By train : the castle is easily accessible by train with preferential rates available on the site LIO service. Foix train station is located just 10 minutes walk from the castle.
Families The 'Family Pass' entitles you to 2 adult tickets + 2 child tickets at only € 40 (additional child: + € 6,90).
Children Children under 5 get free, those between 5 and 17 get a reduced rate of € 9.
students Students under 26 benefit from a reduced rate of € 10.
Disabled visitor Anyone with a disability who has a disability card benefits from a 20% discount applicable on the base rate. The companion of a person in a wheelchair is free. Please note that some areas of the Château are difficult to access, see section Accessibility.
Visit
How long does the visit to the Château last (reopening July 2024)? What do you need to know before coming?
It takes place both indoors for the museum space and the immersive rooms of the château, but also outdoors for the terraces and participatory workshops (covered). It takes about 4 hours for the complete visit.
How long does the visit to the departmental museum of the Counts of Foix last? What do you need to know before coming?
You should allow 2 hours on average for a complete visit to the Museum of the Counts of Foix.
Accessibility
Is the Château accessible to people with motor disabilities?
The Counts of Foix Museum is fully accessible to all audiences and wheelchair users. The access path to the castle is steep and is made on cobblestone ground which can be slippery in rainy weather. So remember to put on good shoes and to prefer, for example, a baby carrier to the stroller. The location of the Château de Foix, on a rocky outcrop, makes its access difficult for people with reduced mobility (steep paths, numerous stairs, sometimes uneven ground, etc.).
LVisiting the towers in a wheelchair or stroller is impossible. Welcoming visually impaired visitors is also difficult, because there are many obstacles (steps, unspecified differences in level…) and very significant light contrasts.
Parking
Where to park at Château de Foix?
The car parks are located in different places in the city, you will find them here: Foix town hall site: parking. Many free car parks are located less than 10 minutes walk from the castle. Passenger drop-off and waiting areas have been set up for buses. The walking time to the castle is estimated at around 10 minutes.
Pets
Are animals allowed at Château de Foix?
For reasons of conservation and hygiene, animals are not allowed in the Château, even on a leash.
Shop
Can we buy souvenirs at Château de Foix?
A shop is present and open at the same hours as the Château on the site. You can access it without visiting, you just need to report to the ticket office.